He swallowed, and it went down the wrong pipe. A coughing fit followed. He held a fist to his mouth and slapped one hand against the desk, trying to breathe while choking.
Katie ran around his desk and thumped him hard on his back. “Are you okay, Chase? I’ll get you a glass of water.”
When she started to rush from the room, he grabbed her wrist. She gazed at him with a question in her eyes. Air flowed freely into his lungs, and the coughing stopped. He stood and pulled her into his arms, risking her wrath by getting personal at work. She’d warned him to keep it professional, but he couldn’t help himself with her looking so cool and efficient. How had he not seen through that horrible matronly disguise she used to wear?
He reassured himself that he was not falling in love with her. It was lust, simple lust. She was an extraordinary woman with an incredible body, and he wasn’t done enjoying his time with her yet. That was all there was to it. He enjoyed making love to her, and she hadn’t voiced any complaints, so why should they stop?
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
“Here?”
He pressed his thumb against her glossy full lips and slowly moved it down to her chin. Her lips parted briefly under his thumb. After a mesmerizing moment, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her with enough passion to leave no doubt of his intentions. The woman in his arms stirred his desire like no one he’d ever met.
She tore her mouth away and pushed against his chest with both hands. “We can’t do what you’re thinking. Not now. Not here.”
“Why not?” He cupped her softly rounded bottom.
Her face turned a delicious shade of pink. “Do I have to remind you that Alice and Marty are right outside that door?”
“We’ll be quiet.”
She scoffed. “You’re never quiet.”
He dropped back down in his chair and pulled Katie onto his lap. Her laughter made him happy, which was weird when he thought about it. Usually, the women he dated got on his nerves within a few days of taking them to bed. He buried his face in her throat for a blissful moment and breathed deep. Lilac and sunshine. “Have you taken a pregnancy test yet?”
She pulled away and searched his eyes. “No. Why? Do you think I should?”
He shrugged, trying to sound more casual than he felt. “It would be nice to know if we’re expecting.”
“I’ll get one after work from that pharmacy we always pass on our way to the lake house.”
He made a mental note to research home pregnancy tests. He wanted to know things like, how pregnant did she have to be for it to show? Could it miss the pregnancy and give them a false positive? Was it possible the test could say negative when she was actually pregnant?
He gently pushed her off his lap. “Speaking of work, I need to get back to it.”
She nodded.
The big problem was going to be keeping his hands off her. Once she took the test and it was negative, he couldn’t sleep with her again or he’d be risking a future pregnancy. Then he’d have to get her to take another test. No. It was better to end things quickly. She was headed back to the lake house after work so he wouldn’t see her again until he joined her for the weekend. He would tell her everything then.
He planned to pay her off and say goodbye forever.
Chapter Eleven
Sitting on the bathroom floor with her back against the tub, Katie stared at the negative pregnancy test with blurred vision. She had put off taking the test until Saturday morning, because she hadn’t known what she would do if she saw a negative result. Now, she had to deal with the fact, face the truth. She cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear and blinked back tears. Ready to share the good news, she had impulsively called Bianca right after peeing on the stick. Her throat closed up, clogged with emotion. She didn’t say anything; she feared her voice would crack under the strain.
“Katie? Are you still there?”
She swallowed hard while trying to regain her composure. “Y-yeah.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Yes. I am here... and I amnotpregnant.”
“I’m sorry,” Bianca said. “I know how much you want a child.”
“I have to go.”
“Wait. No. Let’s talk.”
With an angry swipe of her hand, Katie brushed away falling tears. “I know you want to help, but I need to be alone right now, luv. We’ll talk later.”